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Genealogy Brick Walls: What to Do When Records Are Gone

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Jean Graugnard explains how experienced ancestry researchers work around missing, destroyed, or inaccessible records to keep your family history moving forward.

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Jean Graugnard explains the difference between a family crest and a coat of arms — and what real heraldic research looks like when you want to find yours.

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AncestryAI Is Turning Old Records Into Stories

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Jean Graugnard breaks down AncestryAI’s latest tools transforming historical records into narrated family stories, and what that means for your research.

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Are You a Lost Canadian? Canada Updates Citizenship by Descent

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Are You a Lost Canadian? Canada Updates Citizenship by Descent

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Are You a Lost Canadian? Canada’s Citizenship by Descent Rule

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Canada’s Bill C-3 changed citizenship by descent rules in December 2025. Jean Graugnard explains what this means for your family history research.

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Amateur Historians Are Fueling Modern Genealogy Forward

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Amateur Historians Are Fueling Modern Genealogy Forward

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How Grassroots Research Is Shaping Family History Today

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Jean Graugnard explores a Guardian feature showing how amateur historians and volunteer genealogists power modern ancestry research worldwide.

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An Ancestry.com DNA Match Reunites Father and Son Before the Holidays

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An Ancestry.com DNA Match Reunites Father and Son Before the Holidays

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DNA Brings a Family Together After Decades Apart

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Jean Graugnard explores a December 2025 story where an Ancestry.com DNA match reunited a father and son, showing the life-changing power of genealogy.

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A First Look at RootsTech 2026: What Genealogists Can Expect

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Jean Graugnard previews RootsTech 2026, the world’s largest family history conference, with details on sessions, access, and why genealogists should attend.

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Ancestry.com Challenges Scotland Over Access to 400 Years of Records

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Ancestry.com Challenges Scotland Over Access to 400 Years of Records

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Jean Graugnard · ·

A major legal dispute between Ancestry.com and National Records of Scotland (NRS) could reshape how genealogists access historical archives worldwide. The case centers on whether the U.S.-based company can license more than 400 years of Scottish records, including census data, parish registers, and civil registrations, for its subscription platform.

In a recent tribunal ruling, Ancestry won partial approval under the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations. The court confirmed that Ancestry's request qualifies as legitimate "re-use" of public records-but stopped short of declaring the NRS's refusal unlawful. That leaves the issue unresolved and the fate of millions of records in limbo.

The collection in question is vast. It includes birth, marriage, and death records dating back to 1855, and even church registers from the 1500s. For Americans with Scottish ancestry, these documents can fill vital gaps in family trees, tracing lineages across oceans and generations. But access comes with complications.

Supporters of the NRS worry that selling rights to a private company could limit free public access and reduce funding for Scotland's own digital archive, ScotlandsPeople. Meanwhile, Ancestry argues that wider distribution would make these records easier for descendants abroad to explore.

As Jean Graugnard often points out, genealogy thrives on accessibility. Every new collection opened to the public adds another piece to the puzzle of human history. Yet this case highlights a growing tension between public preservation and private digitization-a question that affects researchers far beyond the U.K.

For U.S.-based historians and family researchers, the outcome could signal how archives worldwide handle licensing and data-sharing agreements in the digital age. Whether these records stay in Scotland or appear on global genealogy sites, one thing remains clear: the balance between access and stewardship will shape the future of ancestry research.Read more about the ongoing case in The Times: Ancestry.com tries to access millions of Scots' family records.

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Ancestry.com Challenges Scotland Over Access to 400 Years of Records

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Jean Graugnard covers the legal dispute between Ancestry.com and Scotland's National Records, exploring how it could impact global family tree research.

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Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project May Confirm Burial Site

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Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project May Confirm Burial Site

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Jean Graugnard · ·

Could science finally confirm where Leonardo da Vinci is buried? An ambitious international project is using modern genetics to answer a centuries-old mystery.

Researchers with the Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project have traced 15 living male-line descendants from Leonardo's extended family. Six of them provided DNA samples, and early results show their Y-chromosomes align, proving a continuous paternal line stretching back at least 15 generations. This breakthrough allows scientists to compare their DNA to bone fragments believed to belong to da Vinci.

Leonardo died in 1519 in France and was buried at Amboise Castle. But wars, renovations, and centuries of uncertainty left doubts about whether the remains in his supposed tomb are truly his. By comparing the descendants' Y-chromosomes with bones found both in France and in a Da Vinci family tomb in Vinci, Italy, researchers hope to confirm his final resting place.

If a genetic match is made, it would not only settle the question of da Vinci's burial site but also make it possible to reconstruct parts of his genome. That could provide insights into his eyesight, health, and even his traits. Scientists are also exploring whether DNA traces from his notebooks or art materials can be matched to this reconstructed genome.

As Jean Graugnard often says, ancestry research is about more than the past-it's about bridging history and science to understand lives in fuller detail. This project is a striking example of how family lineage and cutting-edge technology come together to shed light on one of history's greatest minds.

Whether the remains in Amboise are truly his or not, the effort itself demonstrates the power of genealogy. From local archives in small towns to the tombs of Renaissance geniuses, the work of connecting families and stories continues to change our understanding of history.

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Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project May Confirm Burial Site

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Jean Graugnard highlights the Leonardo da Vinci DNA Project, where scientists test descendants' DNA to confirm his burial site and trace his genome.

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Uncovering Free Black Ancestry in Greenwich, Connecticut

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Amateur genealogist Dennis Richmond Jr. uncovers free Black ancestry in Greenwich dating back to 1785. Jean Graugnard shares the story.

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Product Description

Family Tree Building

Jean Graugnard is an experienced family historian. He has access to a variety of historical collections, writing and archaeological data. Graugnard digs through his data resources to uncover the unique and individual histories of families all over the world. For the barter, Graugnard will conduct historical research to help you create a family tree! Your family tree is unique to your family. However, building a family tree can be a tricky and difficult process. Digging through archaeological data and a variety of other anthropological sources, Graugnard will assist you in starting your own family tree. For this barter, Graugnard will help you form a family tree based on four generations of your family.

Does your family have a family crest? During the Middle Ages, more European families did. These wonderful insignias are representative of families based on where they lived, the work that they did and who they were as people. Discovering your family crest is a great way to connect with your ancestors - and living members of your family. Take pride in your crest! For this barter, Jean Graugnard will assist you in researching your family crest. Graugnard is an expert Historian and Researcher in ancestry and historical collections.

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Jean Graugnard Family History and Archaeology Research Services

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Jean Graugnard is a Historian and Researcher in Ancestry, Archaeology and Anthropology. On Bartering Exchange Network, Graugnard is offering Family History Research Services.

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Jean Graugnard | Family Historian & Ancestry Researcher

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Jean Graugnard is a Historian and Researcher who digs through archaeological data to build family trees.

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Cloud County Genealogical Society Helps Concordians Preserve Family History

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Jean Graugnard, Historian and Researcher, is excited to feature the upcoming “Family History Preservation” program hosted by the Cloud County Genealogical Society in Concordia, KS.

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Jean Graugnard - Crunchbase Person Profile

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Jean Graugnard is a Researcher and Historian specializing in the fields of Anthropology and Archaeology. Jean is particularly interested in…

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View Jean Graugnard's profile on F6S - Growing up a history buff, Jean Graugnard has established a career in the fields of anthropology and archaeology focusing on family tree

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jeangraugnard Publisher Publications - Issuu

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Jean Graugnard is a Researcher and Historian specializing in ancestry and anthropology. Jean is fascinated by discoveries in archaeological data that relate to family histories dating back centuries. Alongside his professional work in history, Graugnard is also an avid traveler, reader, and writer.